Pillar
by Mechanism Unknown
Summary: Sequel to Architects of Alteration. Traumatized and overwhelmed, it would be a bittersweet reunion in which Hikaru would discover just how little he knew and just what a family meant.
1. Chapter 1

**Title. **Pillar  
**Author. **Mech  
**Project Start. **10/17/08  
**Applicable Genres. **Action/adventure, mystery/suspense, drama  
**Rat****ing. **T  
**Warnings. **Manga spoilers and character/canon usage; violence, minor swearing, smoking, alcohol; OOC aspects on the part of Kousaka, but then again her character isn't well defined to begin with; questions that are not to be answered immediately, unspecified age modifications, unidentified flashbacks, and anything else that came with the first installment.  
**Parings. **Slight Hikaru/Haruhi, by virtue of circumstances; interpretable Kyouya/Tamaki, but no more than in the canon  
**Summary**. Sequel to _Architects of Alteration_. Traumatized and overwhelmed, it would be a bittersweet reunion in which Hikaru would discover just how little he knew and just what a family meant.  
**Inspiration. **We might have all felt that _Architects _needed more of a conclusion. Plus, did you honestly expect me to write a complete Ouran story without Tamaki making an appearance?

Everything I know about the Japanese judicial system I learned from watching HERO.

Also, for your edification and delight, in reference to the last chapter of _Architects_:  
**Q:** What I don't get is the whole point of the switch...did Kaoru just want to see his biological family?  
**A:** You're right - I never really explicated the whole point of the switch. Mostly, Kaoru did want to meet his biological parents, but he also wanted to test whether they could tell him apart from Hikaru.

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_Are you afraid, afraid of the truth?  
__In the mirror staring back at you  
__The image is cracked, but so is the view  
_- Staind, "Schizophrenic Conversations"

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_**Infiltration III.  
**__Chapter 1_

He opened the door with a scrunched brow, for who could be calling at this hour?

"_Oui? Qu'est-ce que—?_" His mouth clamped shut at the sight of the gun pointed in his direction.

"_Keep quiet and no one gets hurt_." It took a good two seconds for the statement to register, one for the shock and the other to refresh his English. Even before then, the stranger pushed past him into the house, though somewhat awkwardly due to the boy draped across his back. As the homeowner closed the door behind them, he realized with consternation that the liquid pouring from that boy's shoulder was fresh blood.

And thus, regardless of how they had just broke into his house, he had to help. On the way to the bathroom to gather some damp towels, a cautionary, dark gaze bore into his back. Upon his return, he found the near-unconscious boy laid upon the sofa with the wound fully exposed, deep cuts oozing crimson along with a more unnatural color. Biting back the bile forming in his throat, he handed the other man the towels.

"_Will he be okay?_" he asked, half curious and half concerned.

"_I hope so_," the other replied, attempting to first pat the wound dry, then stop further bleeding by applying pressure. He muttered another word after that, but it wasn't in a language the homeowner understood. Then, from an open briefcase laid next to him – he must have been carrying that as well – he pulled out a thin, yet menacing syringe and a small bottle. After loading the former with whatever the contents may have been, he brought it over to pierce the skin of the injured one's shoulder. The boy cried out; his companion whispered more foreign words; the observer winced, oblivious yet sympathetic. The syringe was removed, and gradually shallow breaths were steadied. "_Do you have any vodka, or beer? Something like that?_"

The homeowner wrinkled his brow once more at the strange request, but nodded regardless as he headed for the kitchen. He brought back the bottle from which he had been drinking before their arrival, and hoped that the residue of his germs across the top wouldn't pose a problem. The action soon performed with the precious liquid, however, was almost enough for him to take it back – the only consolation that, being clear, it wouldn't further stain the sofa below as it was poured over the wound. Then, as if the healing process weren't odd enough yet, the makeshift doctor pulled a sewing needle and thread from his case.

The other man turned away, far from blaming himself for unease in the presence of stitches as he chugged what was left of his alcohol. When he was at last sure that the procedure had been completed – the flick of a lighter helped to assure him – he dared look at the results. One of his unexpected guests lay seemingly, fortunately asleep with a bandaged arm and shoulder; the other sat cross-legged on the coffee table, the cigarette in hand speckled with one or more of their bloods. Upon taking notice of his examiner, he held out the rest of the pack in offering. After gingerly accepting the gift and lighting it, he allowed himself a seat as well. Then, he took a deep breath.

"Are you two Japanese?" he asked in the appropriate language. As predicted, the look he received from his right was one of mild, suppressed astonishment.

"Indeed. You are...?"

"Half." A drag, then, "Are you a doctor?"

"Of sorts." His gaze drifted over his handiwork.

"What do you mean by that?"

He leaned back a little too casually. "I only went to medical school for two years."

"Why did you leave in the middle?"

His lips twitched around the cigarette end. "Call it... 'running away from home.'"

"Oh. In that case... can you take a look at something for me? Please?"

"I don't see why not." He followed the guidance of putting his cigarette out and into the ashtray in the center of the table, then standing up and walking down the hall. They stopped in front of one of the few rooms, whose door was promptly knocked.

"_Maman, j'entre._" And so he did. On the bed inside lay a middle-aged woman, resemblance to her probable son present in more physiological ways than just their blond hair. She smiled politely, but it was clearly strained by whatever ailment befell her. "I found a doctor who's willing to examine you."

"I am?" But he stepped over to her side anyway. Although rightfully discomforted at his disheveled state and pre-stained hands, she did not comment. "May I...?" he asked, gesturing towards the blanket that hid the majority of her body. Once she nodded in consent, he pulled back the cloth, immediately laying the side of his head across her chest in order to monitor heartbeats. "Describe to me your symptoms." As she followed the directive, voice tired and strained, hands headed towards the abdominal area to check for odd swellings.

Several minutes later, the head lifted and turned to the other man in the room. "Come with me," he said, gesturing towards the door. Concerned yet eager, the other followed, shutting the door behind him. When the next look he received was one suggestive of regretfully bad news, he couldn't help but bite his lip in anxiety. "She should be in the hospital. I can do little to help without the proper equipment."

"I know, but..." he paused, wondering if he really should be telling all this to a complete stranger, much less one whose introduction had been so violently unappreciated, "I can't afford it." With a brief glance, he checked the other's expression, and with surprise found it one of mild interest. "My father could, but I'm afraid my grandmother will ask me to come to Japan because of it."

A scoff. "I can see why you would prefer not to move there," he spoke cryptically. Before a comment could be received in reply, he turned back towards the main living area. A short while later he was to be found once more gazing with concern at his younger companion, brushing a hand against the boy's forehead in order to check for fever. The offer of aspirin was politely rejected, while after a few minutes one of a meal was gratefully accepted.

"Be sure to keep her warm and on a easily-digested diet," he prescribed as yesterday's casserole was being heated up in the microwave. When a word of gratitude was offered in return, he scoffed, "I should be thanking you for allowing me use of your home."

Eying the pistol reattached to the intruder's hip, the other laughed nervously. "It's not like I had much of a choice."

"Still"—Fiddling with a second cigarette between cleaned fingers, he appeared vaguely amused at the circumstances—"most people protest."

"How could I when the kid was so seriously hurt?"

"Most people aren't so compassionate to the injured." By the look on his face, it was clear the effect was fully intended. Swallowing the lump in his throat, the homeowner turned to laying out the makeshift meal on the table along with two bottles – one of water, and another of more vodka. A minute of silence was given in order to ensure that the food was relatively palatable.

"If you really want to thank me, then you could at least give me a name by which to call you."

For a long moment, he stared at the blonde from the across the table as if debating whether or not to answer truthfully, if at all. At last, he decided with a smirk, "My name is Kyouya, but most people just call me Shadow."

Eyes widened as the spoon slipped from his grip into thick sauce.

"And yours?" the revealed criminal continued as if the introduction hadn't been out of the ordinary. To emphasize his congeniality, he took another, relaxed sip from his glass of vodka.

"Re...René..." he gulped. Regardless of how this man was Japanese too, they were in Europe now, and so he gave the name most often applied there.

"Pleasure to meet you, René." The smirk remaining, he extended a hand. Only slowly and with noticeable shaking was the Western gesture accepted from across the table. "Do you believe me?"

His brow twisted. "Are you lying?"

"No, but most people are highly skeptical."

"Of all things, I didn't think the Shadow was known for being a liar."

A shrug. "It comes with the title of 'felon.'"

Suddenly, the corners of his lips upturned as if he had just solved a tricky logic problem. "That proves you really are Shadow, then. If you weren't, then you would have said"—He posed theatrically—"'If I were lying, I wouldn't be Shadow, now would I?' Don't you think?"

"I suppose," Shadow replied carefully, but at the same time clearly repressing an honestly entertained chuckle.

"So, are you in Paris on a job?" René asked after a moment. If he hadn't been staring warily in the other's direction, he might have missed the indignation flash across his face.

"I prefer to call them 'missions.' People work for me; I work for no one."

"What about the kid? He seems a little young for this."

Although his shrug spoke of indifference, the way his gaze automatically drifted over to where the object on the conversation still lay on the couch indicated just the opposite. "He asked to come along."

_[This has been a test of how long I can write without mentioning anyone's name.]_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

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After being held at gunpoint repeatedly, kidnapped, and told he had a long-lost twin brother, Hikaru had grown accustomed to unexpected surprises. Thus, when he was summoned to the office one day only to find himself riding down the streets of Tokyo in the superintendent's car – "Come with me, Hitachiin-kun. We're going to take a little field trip." – he took it all in stride. So long as he wasn't being dragged into the back seat of a black Jaguar on the way to a conspicuously inconspicuous hotel room again, he found negligible issue with the situation.

When they drove up in front of the police station, however, he involuntarily grimaced in reluctance. To be recognized for being the son of a fashion designer was one thing; for having survived entrapment by the most infamous criminal in Japan – possibly the industrialized world – could be so far as disconcerting.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" She was standing by the door, her expression a mix of relief, fear, and triumph.

"They found Shadow."

"What? How?" he automatically returned. She just smiled at him as she opened the door. Placing a hand on his shoulder, the superintendent guided him forward. With bated breath, Hikaru followed his mother down multiple hallways, half expecting Shadow to jump out at him with the sound of a trigger at any moment. Instead, the atmosphere was quiet save for their footprints and the scuffling of policemen. They stopped before a room with a large window in the wall through which one could see inside, and for a second so did Hikaru's heart.

Regardless of how they were turned away, those eyes were just as cold and sharp as they had been two years previously. Hikaru felt his entire body clenching, fingernails digging into the skin of his palms. The reassuring squeeze given to his right shoulder did nothing for his apprehension.

"It's no use," a deep voice to his left said. Pulling his eyes away from the interrogation room, he spotted a suited detective speaking to his mother. "He won't even talk to his sister."

"So you've learned nothing concerning the other's whereabouts?" Yuzuha assumed, agitation clear.

"We're doing our best, ma'am."

"I'm sure he's all right, mom," assured Hikaru, though simultaneously discouraged to hear that the other boy's location and state were left unknown. "Shadow wouldn't let anything happen to Kaoru."

"Hikaru..." she started, but did not find how to unnecessarily continue – her expression indicated well that she had hoped, however futilely, her present son would not have accurately guessed the object of her concerned inquiry.

"Well," coughed the detective, "let's hope the boy is right. For now, although I'd like to get as much information out of the man as possible, the superiors – along with Haninozuka-san and Morinozuka-san – think we'll get a better outcome if we wait a day or so. In the meantime, we're investigating any connections that we can with the possibility that Kaoru-kun can be found among them."

"Let me talk to him," Hikaru spoke up, successfully earning the shocked attention of all those present.

"Are you sure, Hikaru? You certainly don't have to," Yuzuha assured him, reaching out to him with her worried eyes.

"I know. I want to." She nodded in acknowledgment of his resolution, but nonetheless pursed her lips in disapproval. They both turned to the detective.

"Go ahead," he permitted, gesturing at the door around the corner. In the same motion, he indicated to the guard standing by that he should unlock the door for them. As Hikaru stepped around the corner, he heard the detective continue, "Oh, Suou-san, we'll need to speak with you as well..."

When Hikaru entered the room, the familiar sister glanced around from her seat across the table from the prisoner. At first, she too seemed taken aback by his appearance, but quickly replaced the potentially disrespectful look with a sad smile as she stood. Once the guard led her outside, he closed the door behind her. Hikaru glanced toward the wall that divided him from the onlookers and discovered a one-way mirror.

"I guess even the shadows can't hide forever, huh?" he tried to joke as he accepted the recently vacated seat. Unfortunately for his efforts, Kyouya refused to react. Instead, he remained impassively staring off at an angle, arms crossed and eyes dark. A purple-black bruise ran along his left cheekbone, then down across the jawline. If it weren't for the steady expansion of his chest beneath a torn shirt, he could have passed for dead. Hikaru wrung his hands together on the table between them.

"I've been thinking," he started again, softer this time, "ever since you... kidnapped me... about why you didn't do it in the first place. I mean, why did it have to be Kaoru and not me?" He waited a hopeful moment for an improbable answer, his gaze ever drifting between the object of inquiry and concrete walls beyond him. "I wonder how that would have changed things. Would I have gained the same respect for you that Kaoru has? Of course, I don't think so now, but..." He bit his lip, wondering what his mother was thinking on the other side of the mirror. "Instead of hating me, would you have... loved me like you love Kaoru? What if you had just let both of us be? Would Kaoru and I have been close due to our similarities, or full of resentment because of it?

"You both told me that how you were raised is more important that your biological parents, but I don't think that's really true." He paused, watching diligently for a reaction. If this didn't produce a visible one, at the very least it demanded one psychologically. "Mom loves both of us. So that's why you're wrong. She just wants to protect us. I don't get"—He rubbed at the salt water forming in his eye.—"how Kaoru can like you so much when you've done nothing but put us in danger." These last words were coated with the rasping of restricted tears. Beyond his distress he heard the clank of the door and, soon after, felt a hand on his back.

"It's okay, Hikaru, let's get you out of here," his mother whispered in his ear, guiding him to his feet. In a blur of motion he was brought back outside and onto a bench by the window, burying his face in his arms and snuffling the tears back up. All the while Yuzuha kept him in her embrace as well as she could.

"You're braver than I expected, Hitachiin-kun," the paternal voice of the superintendent spoke after an indistinguishable number of minutes, perhaps indicating his return, "to speak to that child like that."

"'Child'?" the twin choked out in question, justifiably intrigued at such usage with someone who was no only globally known for his maturity – if of the wrong nature – but likely more than twice his age.

The assuring smile spoke of a bittersweet history. "He's the same age as my son, who I will always think of as a child."

"...How old is that?"

"Thirty-four."

"I see..." At the moment, _exactly _twice his age. Younger than Hikaru had expected, considering it meant that Shadow had committed his (first?) major crime of stealing the younger twin away when he himself was but 20.

"_No way. You can't possibly be old enough to have a 15-year-old. Unless he's not really 15."_

"_I appreciate the compliment, but even if we were biologically related, I technically would be old enough, indeed. And yes, he really is 15."_

"Suou-sensei, were you the superintendent back when he went to Ouran?" Hikaru wondered aloud.

Yuzuru nodded. "Indeed. He was always at the top of his class. Everyone expected great things of him."

"I bet no one expected him to become the Shadow," scoffed Yuzuha under her breath.

"No, probably not," Yuzuru agreed in the same sentiment. "Especially not his father, even though he didn't allow for an outlet for those talents."

"Nor will he ever," added a new, female voice, laced with concern. Glancing up from his knees, Hikaru noticed Shadow's sister returning from wherever she had gone, undignified red lines decorating her eyes. "Like I thought, father's not coming to see him."

"You're his sister?" spoke Yuzuha, the inquiry laced with disapproval. When Hikaru glanced up to gauge her expression, he was taken aback to find eyes narrowed as if daring the other woman to approve of her brother's position.

"Yes, I am," she replied without faltering under that piercing gaze. In fact, there was a strange light in her eyes as if she knew something they didn't. "Shido Fuyumi." A stiff bow was offered out of politeness.

"Let's hope your father raised you better."

She pursed her lips. "He raised each of us equally."

"More accurately would probably to say, 'He raised _none _of us equally,'" a new voice cut in, its owner and a companion approaching from behind Fuyumi. From their features similar to each other, her, and the man in the interrogation room, one could only assume a familial relation.


	3. Chapter 3

**Q:** So Tamaki turned him in? What actually did happen? Will it all be revealed when Kaoru's location is?  
**A:** Ah, I was wondering how the composition of the first two chapters compared with each other would be interpreted... Don't worry; the answer starts in this chapter.

_Chapter 3_

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"You must be the brothers, then," spoke up the detective, who had been standing nearby all the while in silent observance. "I take it he probably won't speak to you either, though...?"

"He never has." In the middle of a dry laugh, his gaze caught on something beyond the group through the glass to the prisoner that caused his eyes to narrow critically. "Then again, I doubt he'll be talking to anyone with a broken jaw." Both his sister's and the policeman's eyes widened as if they shown have known that, the latter looking especially ashamed due to the responsibilities of his occupation.

"Broken? Are you sure?" he double-checked, clearly hoping that he had no missed such a crucial, detrimental element of the situation.

"Looks like it." He turned to his younger companion. "You're the plastics expert, bro – why don't you give it a quick look?"

"Sure, as long as he'll let me," the other agreed, though skeptical of the possible fulfillment of the requirement. Once again, the detective nodded to the guard outside the door to indicate approval. Upon entrance, the others watched with attentive curiosity as the doctor warily stepped up to the patient, lifting his head with both hands in order to closer examine the left jawline. The way Kyouya visibly winced with each light press of fingertips and his older brother's resulting concern made the answer clear long before it had to be voiced. Even though he couldn't help but feel pity for someone with painful, broken bones, the act of a reaction at last brought a sort of relief to Hikaru.

"And Kaoru?" he thought of suddenly, tearing himself away from the window. Not sure of exactly whom he should be asking, his gaze finally fell on the detective after scanning the rest of the group briefly. "Is he okay? Was he hurt?" Sufficiently catching Yuzuha's attention as well, the policeman shuffled his papers in a clear indication that the answer was not one that they wanted to hear.

"According to Morinozuka-san and Haninozuka-san's report," he began warily, "his left arm might have been damaged in the fracas..."

"'Might have'? '_Damaged_'!?" exclaimed the mother, though keeping a professional composure in check. Just as she was about to open her mouth once more, the oldest Ootori cut in with an attempted condolence:

"I wouldn't worry about that, Hitachiin-san. After living with our little brother, I'm sure he knows quite well how to take care of himself medically."

"Maybe so"—though it was said through gritted teeth—"but, as I'm sure you would agree, he's not about to give himself surgery."

"If I may say so, Hitachiin-san," interjected the detective in desperation, "assuming the damages would require surgery is a bit out of our capabilities." He tossed the doctors a glance in the hope that they might reinforce his statement, relief clear on his face when they did just that.

"Indeed," the younger one luckily agreed. "Unlike the jaw, the majority of broken bones don't need much more than time in order to heal properly." Gradually, Yuzuha settled into silent capitulation.

"Great. Now that that's settled," the detective continued, turning to each member of the congregation in turn, "Ootori-san-tachi, if you don't mind, you're needed in Interview Room D; Shido-san and Suou-san, if either of you think you may provide us with further, valuable information, materials we've collected are in Evidence Room A, otherwise you're welcome to return home; and Hikaru-kun, if you're willing, would you come with me, please?"

After a cursory glance for approval from his mother, Hikaru followed him down the hall as the others dispersed with their respective, police guides. Moments later, they entered into nondescript room with a simple seating arrangement encircling a coffee table, upon which sat ready-made tea and bean cakes. "Make yourself comfortable," was offered, and so he did on one of the brown, leather chairs, staring at the other man expectantly. After taking a seat across the table, the detective pulled out a pen and a yellowing pad of paper.

"Now, I know that after your last encounter, you gave us much important information concerning the circumstances," he said gently, as if speaking to a child, but even beforehand Hikaru was well aware of the request that was about to be made of him, "but we must ask you again, given this present development, if there's anything you know that could possibly assist us in the investigation of either Shadow himself or the possible whereabouts of Kaoru-kun. Even if you don't think it's important, we would like to hear it." With a smile so friendly, Hikaru would have almost regretting saying what he had to if the expression hadn't crossed into disturbing.

After a moment of deep thought, he replied, "I have no idea."

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Placing a plate down on the table, the blond man sighed at how the boy in front of him was merely stirring the food on his own plate around aimlessly.

"Kaoru, you have to eat something," he scolded gently, reaching out to stop the hand from its incessant circling motions. The other just stared up at him hopelessly.

"How can I eat so luxuriously when _Vater_'s probably being fed nothing but bread and water?" he returned, the harsh tone clashing with the tears at the corners of his hazel eyes.

"I'm sure they have better food than that in—"

"Not that he can eat it anyway, what with his face smashed up like that..."

Another sigh, this one exasperated more than anything. "Listen. I know you want to help him, but as it stands I don't think there's anything we can do."

"I can't just stay here, not knowing what horrible things they're putting him through." The stare was hard but desperate. "I know you feel the same way." The declaration earned its due pursing of the lips and averted gaze. "René, I know you do. You love him as much as I do."

After the long, anticipated silence, the reply of the same nature was given, if reluctantly, "So... let's go; but let's make a plan of attack first."

Gradually, the corner of Kaoru's mouth upturned as a reflection of the Shadow's own renowned smirk. "Of course. Whose son do you think I am?"

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A good half-hour later, when Hikaru had finally convinced his interrogator that he truly was just as baffled about the situation as the rest of them, he found his mother in another room with a table scattered with various equipment, presumably confiscated from Shadow himself. Among them Hikaru recognized the handgun that had so often been pointed at his own head, sending a wave of shivers down his spine. Beside it and the slightly atypical collection of zip-top bags lay more normal accessories – a wristwatch, pocketknife, cell phone, and box of Tic-Tacs. Although her focus was broken when Hikaru walked in, Yuzuha was in the midst of staring at a passport marked _Deutschland_.

"How did it go?" she tried, offering her best smile given the tense circumstances.

"Horrible," he replied unaffectedly in contrast, stepping over and taking the empty seat beside her. Before he could decide on which of the objects to examine first, she handed him the one in her hands.

"Look at this."

With a brief, intrigued glance in her direction, he did, flipping open the cover to the page of critical information. There Shadow was again, staring out of the picture with neither a smile nor frown. However, what caught Hikaru's interest the most was the line titled _Name_.

"'Kyouya'?" he read, knowing that the family name listed – Reich – was only a fake and recalling that the detective had called the brothers "Ootori." "Is that his real name?"

"According to Suou-san, it is," answered Yuzuha, though her tone indicated doubt on the part of the absent man's words. Given that the birth date on the official document reflected the age that Yuzuru had given him, Hikaru at least had no reason to doubt him. Plus...

"_Kyou-chan, you don't have to do this."_

Hikaru shivered at the memory of that night. Closing the passport, he picked up the cell phone next, but was disappointed to discover – as the police likely already did – an empty contact list within.

"There aren't any keys," Yuzuha pointed out, gesturing towards the pile in the middle of the table. "The police are saying Kaoru might have them. If he has a car"—she choked up a sob—"he could be anywhere by now..." Swallowing down his own fear over the matter, as hard as it was, Hikaru gathered the strength to offer his mother a comforting embrace.

"I'm sure he's fine, mom," he tried, but didn't know how much he could trust his own promise. Fortunately, it wasn't long before the detective recommended that they head back home for the day, a suggestion that Yuzuha thankfully followed. On the way out, they passed by Fuyumi speaking with another policeman – something about a Frenchman – and Yuzuru, who assured Hikaru and his mother that no penalty would be indicted should the student chose not to appear at school the next day. After thanking him gracefully, they headed out into the parking lot.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

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"I cannot believe that woman," Yuzuha began muttering to herself as soon as the car door was closed behind them, "supporting him like that. He may be her brother, but he's still a criminal! The nerve of some people..." As Hikaru watched a scowl he had never seen before on his mother's face develop and heard her piercing words, a wave of emotions riveted through him, encompassing a range of fear, anger, and sadness. Suppressing the urge to bite his lip and hold his tongue, he crossed his arms in defiance.

"So is mine."

The disapproving shock evident in her reaction was entirely expected, but he still had to refrain from automatically regretting his words, for they had to be voiced. "I didn't mean—"

"I don't like it any more than you do," he interrupted, "but Kaoru could be considered a criminal, too. He's been on missions with Shadow – I wouldn't be surprised if he's killed somebody. Am I not supposed to love him because of that?"

A lengthy sigh calmed her temper. "You know that's different, Hikaru."

"How?"

"It wasn't his choice."

"Not necessarily." Even without clear prompting, he realized he was supposed to continue with the explication she didn't want to hear. He breathed a reluctant sigh. "He never said so directly, but... when I was staying with Shadow, I got the impression that he never made Kaoru do anything he didn't want to." As his gaze wandered out the tinted window, he didn't catch his mother's reaction if she had one. Even if she meant to speak momentarily, his next interjection would have redirected the conversation as the lack of recognizability of the path down which they were currently traveling occurred to him with a start. "Mom, where are we going?"

"To see your therapist," she answered definitively. "I know today has been hard on you, so I want you to talk to him about it."

Hazel eyes narrowed dangerously. "No. Take me home."

"Hikaru—"

"I want to go home, mom."

"Please, Hikaru. I want you to be able to release this as soon as possible." Reaching across the cushions, she placed a firm yet soothing hand on his arm.

"Fine; then give me back my cigarettes." The look made it clear she wouldn't even think about it. "Then I'll go buy my own. Your choice. Take me home, or let me have my cigarettes." After an extensive stare-down, she finally conceded to the former request. As she instructed the driver to divert their course, Hikaru leaned back in his seat with one final comment of annoyance; "Shadow would've given me cigarettes."

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When they walked in the next afternoon, the detective wore a smile in a futile effort to cheer up his clients.

"Any news?" asked Yuzuha.

"We located his school," he answered, surprisingly affirmative. "They haven't seen him since the day before Shadow's capture on the excuse of a 'family trip,' which apparently he's taken a lot of. Still, I'm sure you'll be proud to hear that he's a straight-A student." With a hopeful grin, he handed a sheet of paper to Yuzuha. Once she took it, Hikaru was able to read the translated transcript over her shoulder. Sure enough, each of the A grades corresponded to positive comments. Although the listed art class echoed the boys' similarities, it stood in contrast to the ironic choice of Criminal Justice.

"Did you manage anything else?" prodded Yuzuha, though even she could not hide her pride.

"Nothing to speak of, besides scaring the shit out of his girlfriend..." he added sheepishly in a half-mutter to himself.

"'Girlfriend'?" the Hitachiins repeated in unison. Not even Karl had mentioned that detail.

"Yeah; unfortunately, she happened to be standing in the office when we called the principal. Apparently, she knows that Kaoru-kun's so-called 'family'"—He used the term very carefully—"deals in illegal matters, but has no idea that they're the one and only Shadow. We plan to keep it that way – better not to get others unnecessarily involved." When his mother agreed, Hikaru scoffed at how eerily similar the situation sounded to his own before he discovered the existence of his long-lost twin brother. If it had been purely up to her, he would have never known about Kaoru.

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"Ahem," the policeman began, delicately sliding the papers across the cold table. The stare of equivalent nature that Shadow gave him in return did nothing for his anxiety. "We've prepared the surgery to correct your jaw, but even in such a case, we need your authorization to make it happen – legally, anyway. As someone who's been to medical school, I'm sure you realize the consequences of leaving the injury as is..." Gaze darting around the room, he let the warning – not as intimidating as it should have been – trail off.

For a long moment, the stare continued without motion, distressing the detective's nerves even further. Then, Kyouya slowly picked up the papers and the pen that came with them, reading them over carefully. However, instead of instantly signing his name in European style at the bottom, he lifted the tip of the pen to the top of the page, crossing out two of the lines and replacing them with two more before thrusting the sheets back at the man across the table.

At the first change, he wasn't surprised – the kanji for "Ootori Kyouya" had been exchanged for "Kyouya Reich" in written script. At sight of the second modification, on the other hand, the detective had to raise an eyebrow in disbelief.

"You want your brother to do the operation?" he questioned the decision. "We assumed—" At the glare that told him that had been precisely the problem, he gulped. "Very well. I'll arrange for the paperwork to be redone and Ootori-san to be notified." Once the policeman left the room, Kyouya leaned back in his chair and crossed his shackled arms.

But a half-hour later, indicating that the necessary paperwork had been transmitted via fax, the detective returned with the corrected names. This time, luckily for him Shadow presented no qualms concerning signing on the indicated line.

"Excellent!" the other man expressed in relief. "The ambulance should come to take you over later this afternoon."

Once it did, the middle Ootori son had the opportunity to smile at his little brother as he said, "If it's worth anything, it means a lot to me that you'd trust me with this surgery." When Kyouya didn't even glare at him in response, the older brother could breathe a little easier.

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When Hikaru came back a few days later to check on progress – his mother had since decided she was to stay as far away from the station as possible unless they uncovered more, valuable information – he was redirected to the hospital room to which Shadow had been sent for post-operative care. If Hikaru had known about the handcuffs that locked the imprisoned felon to the bed and the guard imposed on the room – Takashi doing well, much to the redhead's relief – he would have scoffed as the use of such a sympathetic term.

Eyes as dark and figure as unmoving as ever, Kyouya remained facing away from them all, including his sister, who sat with arms curled around her knees on a chair nearby. As Hikaru claimed a seat in the corner, she offered him a small, apologetic smile that he had to return out of sympathy. As she recounted a tale about her own little boy, he couldn't tell whether the story was meant for Kyouya's ears or his own as a version of small talk. Other than her periodical attempts at conversation and the steady rhythm of the intravenous drip, silence filled the room.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

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In his anxious daze, Hikaru barely noticed the knock that sounded behind them, though he did think it strange when Takashi slipped out the door instead of simply allowing the guest inside as he had when the Hitachiin had requested entry himself. However, this intrigue was nothing compared to the shock Hikaru experienced a few minutes later when the guard reentered, trailed by a foreign blonde in equally Western attire.

"René..." came out so dry and astonished that at first Hikaru didn't recognize the voice as belonging to the Shadow himself.

"Hey, Kyouya," was returned with far more self-assurance as the man gratefully accepted Shadow's outstretched arms into his own, "I missed you."

"What are you doing here? It's far too dangerous," Kyouya warned gruffly, though his grip on his apparent friend's blazer did not falter.

The other simply smiled. "I'd rather die by your side than live on without you," he whispered. From the other side of the interaction, Fuyumi stifled a laugh. Especially at the lack of an adamant reaction from Kyouya, Hikaru thought he must have heard wrong. At least the implication of the one provided offered some relief to the awkwardness of the situation.

"That the tag line of your next book?"

"Yep!" Grinning with pride, he slid out of the embrace to pull out a paperback from the tote bag he had been carrying with him. "I brought you a copy, in English. The German one isn't out yet. I also brought a book of crossword puzzles – I hope you don't mind that I did the first one on the way over – and my mother baked you some _madeleines_." As he listed the items of interest, he removed them from the bag as well, placing them in the other's lap.

"You must thank her graciously for me, then." After popping off the top of the Tupperware container, Kyouya began consuming one of the cookies within rather eagerly. Then again, discounting intravenous nutrition, he hadn't eaten in almost a week. "Would you like one, Fuyumi-neesan?" he offered in sudden congeniality, extending the box to the indicated woman. As she politely removed a _madeleine_, the wide smile on her face clashed with the tears that began to run down it. René started, instantly kneeling down to her seated level in order to clasp one of the tense hands.

"Princess, whatever causes such unfortunate tears to fall?" he practically serenaded on one knee. Opening his book, Kyouya scoffed. Averting his gaze, Hikaru smothered a laugh.

"We've been trying to get him to eat for days," she explained. "Then you come in and it's like instantaneous magic. You must be the Frenchman my brother has told me so much about."

His grin morphed into sheepish. "Thank you for your kind words. That is likely so, just as you, dear lady, must be the beautiful sister of whom my dear friend has talked endlessly."

"I never told you she was beautiful," interjected Kyouya, voice still hoarse, before the woman in question could insert a respectful word of gratitude.

"Being related to you, such an outcome would be inevitable," explained René before facing Fuyumi once more in seriousness, placing a hand gently across her cheek. "Do not fear, princess. Everything will turn out all right." In contrast to his own conviction, she scrunched her brow in confused doubt.

"But how is that possible?" she questioned in disbelief. "The judicial system is not about to let anything go."

"Perhaps, but neither am I. My father knows some excellent lawyers." Standing, he turned to his friend, "Has he offered you Kousaka-san yet?"

"Not yet," Kyouya replied, tense as if regretful, "but I can tell he's been debating it."

"If I take care of it; no matter. He won't have to worry about it, and since I doubt anyone in Japan knows we're related, it couldn't possibly ruin his reputation." For a brief moment, his smile twisted wryly in disapproval at the stated conditions.

"You're going to fight this in court?" Hikaru suddenly exclaimed then, simultaneously astonished at the mere suggestion of defending the criminal and – although he wouldn't have liked to admit it – horrified at the possibility of success. "It doesn't matter how good your attorney is – you can't possibly expect to win against the entire justice system." To his surprise, he could only describe the look that Shadow subsequently threw him as reluctant agreement. On the other hand, the newly introduced companion shot him an incredulous stare.

"Certainly not with an attitude like that." With hands casually in his pockets, he stepped over to Hikaru's chair and knelt down to his eye level. "Why, what do you want out of this, Hikaru-kun?"

"How the Hell do _you_ know my name, too!?" he shouted, shoving himself back in his chair as far as he was able and disregarding the question. In a flash, Takashi's steady hand was on the offender's shoulder in a threat for him to come any closer to the boy.

"I'm not going to hurt him," insisted René, glancing up in confusion as to the problem. Although his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, Takashi's grip loosened.

"Doesn't matter," he replied simply. After a brief glance to ensure that Hikaru had sufficiently relaxed, he returned to his post by the door.

Hikaru gulped. "You know Kaoru, don't you?" he continued, though his tone had sunken to a noticeably more hesitant level. "Can you tell me where he is? Is he safe?"

"I know Kaoru quite well, yes," replied the blonde with a smile eerily crossed between comforting and cunning, "but I can honestly say that I don't know where he is. I can assure you, however, that he is perfectly safe."

"How?"

"He's Kyouya's son." Aside from the assured, nonchalant tone, the implications of having called him Kyouya and not Shadow clashed with that of referring to a filial position concerning the missing boy. Even if Hikaru could have thought up a response, he fortunately was spared the requirement as once more the door was knocked upon in interjection. After a brief peek on the other side, Takashi returned with the message,

"Hitachiin-sama, your mother's here."

A wave of relief washed over the redhead. Nodding, he gulped down the saliva he didn't realize he was holding in his dry throat. Yuzuru stood outside with the lady Hitachiin, entering as Hikaru himself exited. Just before the door shut behind them, an relieved exclamation that could only have come from the Frenchman sneaked through the opening:

"Ah, _papa_, perfect timing—"

Whipping around, Hikaru caught but a glimpse of the shock on Yuzuru's face before the door slid closed. That _was Suou-sensei's 34-year-old son!?_

"Are you coming, Hikaru?" questioned Yuzuha, returning Hikaru's immediate attention to his initial task of heading for the exit as soon as possible.

"Yeah, yeah..." he replied, but could not pull his gaze from the recovery room in which a very interesting exchange had just taken place. The thought that his mother would want to be notified of their decision to challenge the inevitable sentence was pushed from his mind as quickly as it had come, for he would much rather have the police officer in charge face her horror upon official notification.

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Once they entered the parking garage, Ootori Yoshio's personal bodyguard opened the back door of the multi-million-yen vehicle so that his boss could slide graciously into the leather interior. As soon as the door closed behind him, Yoshio removed his PDA from his jacket pocket and immediately began scrolling through his e-mail. An abnormally long amount of time later, when the driver had still not started the car, his attention was forced away from the device in irritation. A second later, the irritation was subdued by his blood running cold as he caught sight of an unfamiliar, unwanted personage on the bench seat across from his own.

"Nice to meet you, grandpa," the boy said, the innocent smile on his face a little too sly – and far too familiar – for Yoshio's liking.

"Hardly."

"Come now; I know you and _Vater_ haven't been on the best of terms, but that doesn't mean you and I can't be friends, right?"

"I would never be congenial with criminals."

"Now _that's _debatable..." he muttered absently, twisting a strand of obviously dyed, black hair around his finger. "Besides, it's because of you that I'm even here; but you already figured that, didn't you?" Again, their gazes connected as the boy's tone gradually hardened. "You never let _Vater _be himself; never let him have a father. He knew what that felt like, and so he couldn't possibly let someone else have the same fate. _You_'re the reason he wanted me, wanted one of us. So why don't you just admit to the courts? If you don't, this may be your last chance to tell him otherwise."

Yoshio lifted an eyebrow. "He raised a fool if you think such threats are going to work on me, especially one-handed."

Kaoru's left hand clenched around its cast, but his smirk did not falter. "One arm is enough." In explication, with his right he pulled the pistol from its holster at his hip, lifting the firearm to the other's line of sight. Other than shifting back in his seat, Yoshio refused to move. "I'd rather not have to kill you, but it's your choice. If you don't agree to appear in court, I'll shoot. Either way, you're of no use to me."

With the knowledge that he could easily find a way out if he tried and that Kyouya would have killed him by now if he really wanted him dead, Yoshio conceded a nod.

"Good choice." Stashing the pistol once more, Kaoru made for the door. "Oh, and grandpa," he added sardonically before leaving, "don't even think about telling anyone about our little chat." With a final smile, he disappeared like a cat into the shadows.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Infiltration IV.  
**__Chapter 6_

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"What do you _mean _he won't appear!? What kind of father would let his son be put on death row without doing anything about it?" A pause, during which Haruhi took the opportunity to glance up from her book and give the woman standing across the room a curious stare. After all, such confidential information should not be so lightly spoken of in a public space like the lobby of a hospital.

"As much I'd love to trust his and René's testimonies," she continued bitterly, "the public considers him a liar. They'd believe the CEO of a major medical company. At least we have the sister, but without the brothers, things might get trickier." Rubbing her temple, the woman grimaced into the phone. "Screw his reputation. It should have been ruined the day he neglected such a promising individual." With the use of such a term, Haruhi knew they couldn't possibly be discussing the Shadow, and yet the hospital was void of criminal cases as far as she knew save for his. After another pause but not an added word, the woman clicked her phone shut just as the two men of interest emerged from a hallway. One – the blonde – headed straight for her just as the other – the redhead – did the same towards Haruhi.

"Any luck?" the former asked as he approached his companion.

"The father has threatened to cut off the older sons if they testify," she answered reluctantly, sliding her phone into her pocket with a force indicative of frustration. Although the man's resulting, negative expression made his opinion on the matter clear, Hikaru's greeting tore Haruhi's attention away from any verbal response.

"Thanks for waiting for me," said Hikaru congenially as he slipped the book from her hands. Although he sat down close beside her, both of their watchful gazes continued to drift over to the other pair until they slid out the exit.

"You're welcome," she replied simply, but then turned on him in expression of her disbelief. "Was that his lawyer?" she guessed. "You didn't tell me they were bringing this to court."

He winced. "Well, I was hoping the request wouldn't go through, but it looks like they're far from giving up."

Haruhi twisted her lips in similar disapproval. "Hang on for me for a minute," she requested abruptly, but before her friend could respond, she was already up and out the door after the defense attorney and her foreign companion. She caught them just as they were about to climb into a car, mentally noting the oddity of the woman being the one to drive. "Excuse me," she called out, quickly catching her breath after the sprint, "can I ask you a question?" Stopping in their tasks of entering into the car, both of the adults stared at her in stern doubt at her importance.

"That depends on who you are," the woman spoke for them, leaning over the top of the car door.

Doing her best not to be intimidated by two people who would dare defend an international felon, Haruhi stood her straightest. "I'm Fujioka Haruhi – a friend of Hikaru's." When neither of them immediately protested, she continued, "There's no denying that Shadow was the one who kidnapped Karl – I mean, _Kaoru_-kun – or killed those men who tried to take over Ouran. I wouldn't be surprised if there was even more information that Hikaru and I don't know about that pinned other crimes on him as well. Why are you trying to defend his innocence?" Even with the hurt it left on the blond man's face, she had to ask. Instead of the equally offended reaction she might have expected from the other in question, the lawyer narrowed her eyes in interest.

"'Fujioka,' you say? Were you related to Fujioka Kotoko by chance?"

Understandably, Haruhi's eyes widened at the mention of her deceased yet beloved relative as she was sufficiently distracted from how her question had been ignored. "She's my mother. Why?"

"We went to the same university. I'm sorry to hear what happened to her," she offered in honest condolence. "She was a great lawyer." Before Haruhi could return more than a humble comment of appreciation at the compliment, the woman continued, "Do you plan to follow in her footsteps?"

"I was considering it, but now that I know the type of clients _some _lawyers take on, I might change my mind." Although the insult was clear, the man appeared more affronted that the individual to which it was meant, frowning as if he really wanted to put forth a retort but thought it better to let his lawyer do the talking.

Instead, the woman smiled in dry amusement. "If you do decide to proceed into law, I suggest you be careful. You're making a rookie mistake in equating 'innocent' with 'good person.'" With that final message, she climbed into the car without waiting for a response. After her companion followed her lead into the vehicle and they drove out of the parking lot, Haruhi turned back inside the hospital with a resigned sigh.

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Usually, Shadow was reading a book when Hikaru walked in, René at his side, crammed onto the small, hospital cot with his own text. Only René would glance up at the newcomer, and only briefly before turning back to his task. When Fuyumi was there, she would strike up animated – at least on her part – conversation with the two men, more often than not revolving around stories about her own son. A few times Hikaru showed up just as the lawyer – Kousaka Yuuko, he learned – was leaving, taking no obvious notice of him on her way out.

Without comment, Hikaru sat at his self-designated chair in the corner and took to staring awkwardly at whoever else happened to be present at the time. Just once did he receive more than silence in return.

"Why do you insist on coming here anyway?" demanded Kyouya, though he did not lift his gaze from the pages of his text. Hikaru started, taken aback by both the content of the question and its existence in of itself.

"I... I don't know," he admitted finally, shrugging. "I guess... I'm hoping that one of these days you'll crack and tell us where he is."

"What part of 'I don't know' do you not understand?"

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Have I ever lied to you before?"

Standing, Hikaru threw his best glare at him, marching over so that Shadow had no choice but to see it. "You lie to me every time you call him your son," he spit out without care for retaliation. "He's not your son. He's mom and dad's son. His name is Hitachiin Kaoru, and he's my brother." Kyouya's eyes went cold, his fingers tightening around the covers of his book. Until his voice came back to life, he stared in silent threat at the boy that looked so much like but acted nothing like Kaoru.

"Morinozuka-senpai, get this kid out of my sight."

With a gentle yet firm hand on his shoulder and a brief apology in his ear, Hikaru was lead out of the room. On his way past, a glance back caught a sliver of a view of René's arms gathered around Kyouya's shoulders with no retaliation in sight.

Hikaru didn't see either the Shadow or his French companion again until the day they were summoned to court; the latter settled uncomfortably next to Yuzuru in observance, the former led to the defendant's bench by Takashi and Mitsukuni themselves. Clad in a designer suit, Kousaka followed shortly after them, walking with such confidence as if she were not about to embark on the quest of defending an international felon. Outside, the media fought to make its way into the courthouse, but was relentlessly halted in its efforts.

Although Yuzuha didn't dare step into that courtroom, she insisted that their son not attend the hearing alone, and so the Mr. Hitachiin took his place as well in the rows of seats at the back of the room. Although his father seemed more interested in the daily news than the trial, Hikaru could at least take comfort in having a companion in such stressful circumstances. He didn't dare suggest that Haruhi be subject to these conditions.

"Please begin with your opening statements. The prosecution may present first."

"In the case of Reich Kyouya, otherwise known as the 'Shadow,' the following charges are being applied: theft of approximately one million yen worth of medical supplies from the Ootori company, murder of innumerable men and women, and kidnapping and maltreatment of both Hitachiin Kaoru and Hikaru. We believe we speak for us all when we say that the ramifications of these intolerable acts need not be explicated."

With a pre-announcement cough, Kousaka stood in front of the company, fully prepared to floor them all. "Although each of these issues need to be addressed individually, what underlies them all is a common thread, woven of undisclosed information that is necessary for the true understanding of my client's circumstances," she began regally, looking out across the floor. "First, as to the so-called 'theft': during the time at which this material transaction occurred, it is to be noted that my client was still a member of the Ootori family. Consequently, he was fully entitled to the use of the property in question, and therefore the handling thereof cannot be called unlawful." Raising an eyebrow, the prosecution revealed that they hardly believed such an explanation, but the defense left no room for immediate questioning.

"Secondly," she continued, "in regards to the 'murders,' the honorable Prosecution has so kindly left out that each of these men and women were known members and even leaders of crime organizations."—Even Hikaru raised an eyebrow at this one.—"By eliminating such unscrupulous individuals, my client has in fact performed a service to society; one for which we all – not just the police – should be thankful.

"Thirdly, yet most importantly, as I will show today here in court, Hitachiin Hikaru-kun and Kaoru-kun were both far from 'maltreated.' In fact, Kaoru-kun was provided with a life equivalent to any a father would provide for his child. Even in his short time in my client's company, I'm sure Hikaru-kun was similarly treated as kindly as any guest." At this justification, Hikaru gulped, knowing he would be called on to defend it.

"Furthermore," she went on, though her tone indicated that this was the critical part of the argument, "with the unfortunate conditions my client was subject to during the years of development, it is of no surprise that such actions were taken in response. Anyone in the same circumstances would have reacted in a similar manner. Thus, he cannot be considered at fault." After such a dramatic conclusion, Kousaka casually walked back to her seat, ignoring the court's raised eyebrows.

"Thank you," said the judge. "Will the Prosecution now call their first witness?"

"Gladly," the prosecutor answered. "I would like to call Suou Tamaki-san to the stand." Having never heard of such a person, Hikaru remained understandably lost until the the man he knew as René took a stand with a frown that spoke of both irritation and apprehension. As he made his way to the middle of the courtroom, Yuzuru's gaze followed after his son.

"Please state your name for the court."

"René Grantaine," he replied in contrast to that by which he had been summoned.

The judge stared at him expectantly for a moment before realizing the other wasn't going to continue on his own. "Your _full _name, please."

As their owner sighed in annoyance, cerulean eyes narrowed in disapproval of the requirement. "Tamaki René Richard Grantaine Suou."

"Thank you," the judge returned, oblivious to the other's inner plight. "Please, have a seat." Once he took his place at the witness block, the prosecutor strutted over to stand in front of him.

"Let's start at the beginning," he suggested. "How long have you known Kyouya?"

"About five years," René answered with the trepidation of knowing the questions were only going to get harder.

"How did you first meet?"

He gulped. "He... knocked on my door one evening."


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7_

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After a brief once-over, Kousaka shut her folder with a decided _clap_. "Given this insight into the first interaction between you and Kyouya-san, how would you define your relationship?"

"Kyouya's my best friend," replied René with significant conviction.

"That's an interesting conclusion," she commented for the sake of the audience; her tone made it clear this was far from new news to her. "How often have you seen him since you first met?"

"They come to visit once or twice a year."

"Just to specify, by 'they' you mean Kyouya-san and Kaoru-kun?"

"Correct."

"When did you discover the nature of their 'unique' relationship?"

As if struggling to put the pieces back together, he twisted his brow. "Well, Kyouya didn't call the kid by name until shortly before they left the first time. As soon as he did, I figured it had to be the same 'Kaoru' whom the Shadow had been rumored to have kidnapped."

"Given this, has Kyouya-san ever treated Kaoru-kun poorly? For instance, as only a prize?"

"Of course not. He treats him as any _good_"—The bitter emphasis could not be missed; Hikaru glanced over to catch a wince flashing across the superintendent's face.—"father would," René assured her, regardless of how neither of them expected it to instill full belief in the court.

"Have they both been healthy and uninjured since the first incident?"

"Besides a minor cold, yeah. Kyouya stitched him up really well."

"How could you tell?" Permitted curiosity more than anything else.

"Have you ever had a 12-year-old beat you at arm wrestling?" René laughed despite himself. Even Kousaka allowed herself a half-smile.

"You said your mother was sick the first time Kyouya-san came to visit you," she continued, using an odd word choice in regards to Shadow's previous method of entering. "May I ask what happened to her?" From her curious yet calm tone alone it was unclear whether or not she already knew the answer. However, her insistence that the question was of significance to the court upon protest by the prosecution helped to reveal the truth.

Fortunately, René appeared nowhere near distraught at the sensitive question. "Oh, she's fine now," he replied easily, waving off the concern.

"But you couldn't afford the chemotherapy."

"I didn't have to. Kyouya paid for it." The collective gasps for the defense had been hoping spread throughout the room, including Yuzuru in the wake. Though in disbelief, even the prosecutor raised an eyebrow, bringing Kousaka to smirk in their direction. "When he and Kaoru-kun left that first time, they did so while I was asleep, but when I woke up the next morning, I found a stack of cash on my mother's bedside table. It was far more than enough, but Kyouya wouldn't even accept the change when he came back to visit."

"So, basically, he saved her life?"

"Yeah, he saved _maman_'s life," repeated René wistfully, smiling to himself.

"Was that something you were expecting from someone who's known as a criminal?"

"Not at the time, no... but now I know he'd do the same for me, Kaoru-kun, and his sister." As his gaze drifted over to the defense's bench, the others' eyes followed to find the Shadow looking abnormally pleased with even a hint of the smile he would show only to the three individuals expressed in René's sentence.

At the front of the room, Kousaka was none too disappointed with the answer either. "Thank you, Grantaine-san." Nodding, René stood to head back to his place in the audience as the lawyer returned to her place at the bench so that the prosecution could call their next witness.

"Hitachiin Hikaru-kun, please come forward," someone said; to the boy himself, it didn't matter. With a deep breath and a pat on the back from his father, Hikaru made his own way to the witness block. Anxiously, he threw a sidelong glance at Shadow out of curiosity at a possible reaction, but received nothing more than a blank stare in return. At least the court believed him when he recited his name.

"Were you ever harmed during your imprisonment?" asked the prosecutor after a series of more general questions regarding Hikaru's kidnapping. Given the surprisingly cordial way in which the Hitachiin was treated during his stay in the dreaded hotel room, he had to resist the urge to laugh at the lawyer's inappropriately negative terminology.

"It kind of hurt when he shoved me in the car," Hikaru answered, cringing at the unpleasant memory, "and when he pressed the gun into my head before he gave me back, but other than that he pretty much left me alone. Oh"—His eyes lit up as it occurred to him.—"but he did slap me once."

"With no prompt?" Clear hope.

"Not exactly..."

"Then, may I ask why?"

Embarrassed by the truth, he grinned sheepishly. "I insulted his sister."

"_If you _ever_ call my sister a whore again, I swear I'll make it so everyone can tell you apart."_

Grin morphing into a frown, he recalled a time before he knew what this meant.

Much to the prosecution's chagrin, when Kousaka asked if he thought Shadow's action justified, Hikaru had to admit, "If someone called Kaoru a whore, I'd probably slap them, too." Upon further questioning, he also was made to confess his thoughts on being treated more like a guest than a hostage, and that Kyouya's explanation for the seemingly strange behavior had been his paternal position. The rest of Hikaru's questioning went by in a daze, but then again maybe he purposely forced himself into such a mindset so the memories of his time in Shadow's custody and of his parents' lie wouldn't bring about the fearful and angry shivers like they normally did. Soon enough, he was permitted to step down.

"Will the prosecution call their next witness?"

"We are quite finished," returned the prosecutor, smirking at his opponent from across the interstice between their tables. "There's nothing more to be said."

"Very well. Does the defense have anyone they would like to bring forth?"

"Yes, sir!" said Kousaka a little too loudly, affronted by the oppositions' audacity in claiming an end to the case that was far from over. Upon calming down and apologizing for the outburst, she summoned her only, main testifier of Shido Fuyumi in hopes that she could convince the audience – and more importantly, the judge – of Kyouya's bearing as a venerable member of society.

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"Fuyumi-neesan, I'm about to perform an action for which you will never forgive me, but I need you to promise me that you will not interfere and that you will tell no one."

Thoughts confused and scattered from his disturbing, opening statement, she stared at her brother in silence from across the couch.

"On my way to Munich," he continued casually, ironic in contrast to the second clause of his sentence, "I'm going to take one of the Hitachiin twins with me."

Once the full, five minutes required for her to catch her breath had passed, she gaped at the information he had just revealed. "I don't understand, Kyouya-san. Why would you do such a thing?"

"I cannot let another child grow up in the shadow of a brother."

"That's not for you to decide," argued Fuyumi, with the firm gentleness characteristic of a mother. "You're not their parent."

"I will be," he insisted, the conviction in his voice terrifying her with its power. "I will be a better parent than Father ever was to us."

"I'm sure you can be, but there are far better, legal ways of finding out."

"No, not in this life. Father has made it clear that I'm not to adopt any position worth having in the Ootori company, so there's no merit for me in staying here."

"Then... you're not coming back, once you get to Germany?"

With a somber sigh, Kyouya at last faced his sister. "I'll come back to see you," he promised, attempting a smile.

"Thank you," Fuyumi returned with honest gratitude. Laying a hand on her brother's cheek, she smiled beneath regretful tears. "Just know that I still think you have so much potential."

"I know; thank you. I hope you understand how this will allow me to cultivate my abilities."

She knew her brother well, and so had to nod in recognition of his logic.

Years later, Kaoru once asked him, "Dad, why can't I tell anyone about how you found me?"

"Because they won't accept it. It's not how normal families arise."

"Why, what are normal families like?"

With a wry smile, Kyouya had to answer, "I don't know; I never had one."


	8. Chapter 8

**Q:** So did Fuyumi testify that last part? Or was it just a flashback?  
**A:** Both. Ultimately, it was a flashback, but the information it revealed was essentially the contents of Fuyumi's testimony.

_Chapter 8_

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Flipping aimlessly through her papers, Kousaka tried for a semblance of purpose in her rifling as she desperately mused over her options. She had a risk to take; either option could have disastrous results. Clearing her throat, she stood up from the table.

"I would like to call a surprise witness," she announced, satisfying the judge with a final decision. Before stepping forward, Kousaka leaned over to whisper in her dubious client's ear, "Relax; I have a plan." Although the returned, skeptical eyebrow showed that the other was unconvinced, Kousaka unaffectedly turned back to the stage. "I would like to call Reich Kaoru-kun to the stand!" Stunned silence washed over the entire room; not only at the request, but more so the family name by which she chose to call him.

"That's all well and good, but where do you expect to locate him?" asked the judge, as doubtful as the defendant himself.

"Right here," answered a voice, but in all its familiarity, it did not belong to the expected woman. Heads turned towards the source to find the one person for whom they had been searching all this time seated on the sill of an open window. Uneven strands of a dyed black shadowed the look of distress on his face, hazel eyes clouded over. Swallowing a bite of anxiety, he stepped down from his perch to head across the floor, stunned into silence at his arrival, towards the witness' chair.

In the midst of twisting his fingers together, Hikaru stopped to stare in wonder at the appearance of his twin brother. His father shifted in the seat over. At the sight of the cast around the lower half of Kaoru's left arm, half of Hikaru sunk into unrest at the report having been true, while the other half felt relief at the injury having received adequate treatment. For a moment his gaze drifted over to Kyouya, but the other's composure betrayed no hint of whether or not he had anticipated this sudden twist of events. On the other hand, Kousaka herself appeared amazed that her wish had came true, regardless of the seeming confidence in her previous proclamation.

The judge coughed. "Very well, then... Please state your name for the court."

"Kaoru Reich," he said in proper, Western fashion.

A frown. "Your _real _name, please."

Kaoru hesitated. "That's what it says on my passport."

"What it says on your birth certificate," the other specified.

"I've never seen my birth certificate." Although the judge's disconcertion did not waver, after a pensive moment he convinced himself to shrug off the matter and allowed the Kousaka to come forward with her questioning regardless. Before she did, she shared her smirk and the sentiment that brought it with her client:

"This is going to be easier than I thought," she whispered for his ears only. "He's quite adamant about this, isn't he?" Mirroring her expression, Kyouya nodded as he mouthed, "I told you so." After regaining her position at the front of the court, Kousaka offered a bow to the newcomer. "Nice to meet you, Kaoru-kun. I've heard a lot about you." Watching her carefully, the boy did nothing more than bob his head in response. Unperturbed by his curt recognition, she continued her investigation with ease. "Before we get any further, I suggest we settle this one, simple matter. Who is your father?"

Kaoru twisted his brow as if the answer to her question should have been obvious. With his good, right hand, he pointed directly to the man on trial. "He is. _Vater_ is," he repeated definitively. Kousaka's satisfaction with the affirmation settled into her features. Meanwhile, Hikaru bit his lip; every time his brother voiced the lie, it hurt even more.

"Just to clarify, '_vater_'"—she carried her lips carefully around the foreign term—"means...?"

"'Father,' in German."

She nodded in acknowledgment. "Do you know the true story behind how Kyouya-kun obtained you?"

He appeared nothing short of offended. "Of course. Since long before I can remember, _Vater_'s told it to me as a bedtime story." At this, Hikaru couldn't help but throw a pointed glare at his own father in the seat next to him; his parents likely didn't even consider such a gently revealing option, if one at all.

"Knowing that, do you think he's treated you any differently than if you were his biological son?"

"No," Kaoru answered with confidence. "If anything, he's _more_ protective of me because we don't want anyone of import to find me."

Although Kousaka might have found the use of present tense inappropriate given the current situation, she did not comment at the risk of disrupting his relatively calm composure. "What about these missions he sends you on? Don't they put you in danger?"

"He doesn't _send_ me on them – I ask to come along. I want to help with his work as much as I can."

_"...__I got the impression that he never made Kaoru do anything he didn't want to."_

The confirmation that he was right offered Hikaru little comfort; he still didn't understand the reasoning behind his twin's choices.

"Even if his work is of a criminal nature?" asked Kousaka, genuinely interested and invested in the explanation Kaoru had to offer. In return, he gave her a deep, piercing stare as he leaned forward in his chair.

"What's criminal about disrupting the underground mafia system? About taking money from the overly rich when they're not using it anyway?"

Pausing to glance purposefully around the room, she crossed her arms in a mark of stern defiance. "That is the question of the day, isn't it?" Although she received no response, she had not honestly been expecting one. "Kaoru-kun," she continued, turning back to the stated individual, "if Kyouya-kun is your father, then what do you consider Hitachiin-san-tachi?"

"They're my biological parents," Kaoru answered with surprising ease. "It's the same as if I were adopted the normal way. _Vater_ always talks about them like that. He constantly reminds me that I can see them, too, whenever I want."

"But you choose not to?"

"Of course I want to, but I can't."—His voice cracked.—"I knew that if I went to see them, they'd never let me go back to _Vater_. I wanted to meet them, but I want to stay with _Vater_." At the following statement, his gaze lowered and his voice softened. "Regardless of the circumstances, I was really happy when I did get to meet Hikaru and his parents that time. They seemed like nice enough people, but _Vater_'s a good person, too. I wish there was a way Hikaru and I could be part of both families." Pondering his own place in this hypothetical scenario, Hikaru threw a curious glance over to Kyouya to see him staring softly at Kaoru, his frown not out of annoyance but veritable grief.

_"__I've been thinking, ever since you... kidnapped me... about why you didn't do it in the first place. I mean, why did it have to be Kaoru and not me? Would I have gained the same respect for you that Kaoru has? Instead of hating me, would you have... loved me like you love Kaoru?"_

Would he have loved Kyouya like Kaoru loved him?

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In the distance, the lights atop the Eiffel Tower sparkled against the starless sky. Right in front of Kyouya's face, the end of a cigarette flickered as René gently removed it from the darker figure's lips in order to share in the taste.

"I thought you said you were a doctor. Shouldn't you know better than to smoke?" reprimanded René, his teasing tone only half serious.

"'Of sorts,'" corrected Kyouya, glowering at René for stealing his cigarette yet not motioning to take it back. "Blame my rebellious nature." As he shrugged, the other laughed, knowing full well by now that Kyouya had been nothing short of perfectly obedient for the first 20 years of his life. After a few drags, René handed the cigarette back to be gratefully accepted. After a few more, the sound of a door opening behind them and, subsequently, a boy's voice interrupted their scene.

"_Vater, Mutter,_"—Kyouya started, coughing at accidentally inhaled fumes.—"grandma's finished making dinner," announced Kaoru, only grinning at the glare he received in response to his naming process. Oblivious as to the secret of the conversation and its reasons for rendering the one and only Shadow flustered, René transferred his gaze between the two others in expectation of an explanation.

"We'll be there in a second," Kyouya replied for them, having gathered himself once more. He waited for Kaoru to vanish behind the door before standing, extending a hand for his companion. "Coming, 'mother'?" Together, chuckling, they headed back inside René's house.


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9_

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"Dare I remind the court that in condemning my client, we would be tearing apart a family. Thus, we would be no better than what you think of him. He is a good father and a loyal friend who is only out to give himself and a child a life they would not have had otherwise." Falling back into her seat, Kousaka let out the tense breath she had been holding throughout her emphatic, closing speech.

"Impressive," the man next to her commented. She turned to see Shadow staring at her with one eyebrow raised in reflection of his compliment.

"Let's hope they feel the same way," she replied, nodding towards the judge. "They should – even I'm starting to believe it." To match her dry laugh, Kyouya scoffed.

"Regardless, I appreciate the work you've done for us."

At such kind words coming from someone with his reputation – though, admittedly, she had not seen it come to fruition in the time she had known him – it was her turn to be surprised. "You're welcome. Although, I _am _getting something out of it myself – besides the money." His look prompted elaboration, but she would've continued anyway. "If we win, on the one hand, the Suou family will be certain that I can defend anything. On the other hand, they'll also know I _will _defend anything." Nodding in understanding, Kyouya thought the case similar to his own; he was capable of criminal activity, and so they all assumed that was his specialty.

Even the judge as he announced the resulting sentence that was of little surprise yet great distress to Kyouya; arms folded across his chest, fingers clenching into the skin. Dropping her head in her hands, Kousaka uncharacteristically let her confident composure falter. Yuzuru draped an arm across René's shaking shoulders. Leaning back in his chair, Hikaru let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. However, a moment later he was brought to the edge of his seat once more, for no one had anticipated Kaoru's reaction.

"_No!_" he screamed with a vehemence of which no one knew he was capable. "Nobody's going anywhere!" The instant his right hand slid inside his jacket, they knew it was reaching for a concealed weapon, and so Takashi, Mitsukuni, and every police officer in the room moved to pounce. However, a flash of metal later, the direction of Kaoru's aim froze them in their steps. "Let _Vater_ go or I'll shoot, I swear!" he threatened, the barrel of the gun pressed into his own forehead. Glancing nervously to her side, Kousaka saw more fear in Shadow's eyes than she thought anyone must have ever seen in him before.

"Kaoru, put the gun down!" shouted Kyouya, shooting up from his seat and for once wishing he hadn't armed his son. Unfortunately, Takashi and Mitsukuni's instantaneous grip on his arms prevented him from getting any further than a foot on the defendant's bench, ready to leap. As his attorney's words of assuagement went unheeded, Kyouya's angry fear turned on the guards with a glare. "Are you crazy!? You have to let me talk to him – I'm the only one he'll listen to." After exchanging divided glances with each other, Mitsukuni and Takashi slowly released their captive. For a moment, Shadow stared at them in understandable surprise, but soon enough restarted on his desired path over to the distressed child.

"Kaoru, calm down," he ordered, gradually stepping closer until they were face-to-face. "Nobody wants you to do this. _You _don't want to do this."

"I have to," the other asserted. "They'll kill you if I don't. I can't let them – I won't."

"As much as you try to deny it, we all knew it might come to this. I knew before I took you into my care that nobody else would like it."

"I won't let them kill you," Kaoru repeated, knuckles white around the hand grip, "not just because they hate what you've done." Slowly, a bittersweet smile spread across his pseudo-father's lips. Careful as to not shock the boy into accidentally pulling the trigger, Kyouya lifted his hands to the other's face, chains scratching against the skin of his chin.

"Listen, Kaoru." Their eyes could not pull away from each other even if they tried. Staring into those of his father, Kaoru let a tear slip from his own. "If anything, you taught me that love is far more important than hate. You are my son, and I love you. Nothing can change that – not the judicial system, not even death."

Swallowing a sob, Kaoru nodded reluctantly. "I love you, too, _Vater_." As he pried his fingers away from the trigger to clutch his father's shirt, the gun fell to the floor. Running a hand through the short, black hair, Kyouya held him as close as possible without digging the metal of his shackles too hard into his back.

All too soon Mitsukuni and Takashi had to wrench them apart and take Kyouya away. Regardless of Mitsukuni's soft, vague apologies, Kaoru remained screaming – half in German – in terrified protest. It was only by René's gentle yet firm hand and words that he was stopped in following the procession to the door.

"René, take care of him for me," Kyouya called back in request.

"I will," the other man choked out in promise, stroking the back of the boy sobbing on his knee. His own tears fell from deep, cerulean eyes onto the fabric of his pants.

"Remember," added Kyouya at last chance, both the smirk and warning directed at no one in particular, "shadows are everywhere."

Hikaru could do nothing but watch as the infamous Shadow was carried off to be executed at long last, but somehow with Kaoru falling apart within his reach it didn't feel entirely like justice.

_The End_

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_**Epilogue.**_

When they climbed into the limo on their way to class that morning, the small smile tugging at the corner of Kaoru's lips was enough to convince Hikaru that something was awry. As such, he wasn't quite as shocked as he could have been when their driver removed his cap to reveal familiar, striking, blond hair as they pulled away from the driveway.

"Remember me, Hikaru-kun?" he asked with far too casual an air.

"What—!?" started Hikaru. He automatically reached for the cell phone in the pocket of his blazer, but Kaoru had already pulled out a gun that had been apparently stowed underneath the seat and pointed the barrel menacingly in his brother's direction. A threat that he wouldn't dare shoot would not be worth the risk.

"René's taking me home," explained Kaoru with neither a frown nor a smile. "You can come along or stay here, but no one can stop me. We're 20 now; we're allowed to do whatever we want." Slowly, Hikaru gulped and retracted his arm, but did not answer verbally. With a cautious glance, Kaoru gradually lowered his aim, turning to the driver. "How much was in the account?"

"Eight million," replied René as calmly as ever.

"Eight million yen!?" Hikaru exclaimed beyond his better judgment of staying silent. Regardless of his wealthy heritage, that such a significant sum of money was simply sitting in a bank account, waiting to be used, still summoned inquiries into the nature of its origination. Somebody should have been notified of its disappearance.

"No," the other two replied simultaneously, throwing him a glance as if he should have known, "Euro." Appropriately, his eyebrows raised even further. Apparently, not only had Shadow left a legacy behind, but so too a hefty inheritance. (Note: 8,000,000 yen = $88,000; 8,000,000 Euro = $10,600,000)

"Why, how much is the ring going to cost you?" René continued, leaving but an amused smile to deal with Hikaru's amazement.

"Compared to that, almost nothing," Kaoru scoffed. "Two thousand seven hundred, plus tax. The shop says they'll have it ready tomorrow."

"I see. Good luck."

"Thanks."

When they arrived at the airport, René and Kaoru immediately filed out of the car. Feeling slightly ignored, Hikaru quickly climbed out after them, earning two expectant gazes in his direction.

"Wait, Kaoru... You're really leaving?" he breathed with a desperate expression to match. "But..." He wanted to reach out and hold onto his friend, his brother, preventing him from going away. But when his hand clasped onto Kaoru's arm, the other just gave him a regretful smile.

"I'm sorry, Hikaru, but I can't stay here," he spoke softly.

"Where? Germany?"

"Yeah." He gently pried his twin's fingers from his wrist. "I'll come back and visit someday – I promise." This time, Hikaru latched onto both his arms before pulling Kaoru into a firm hug. Taken aback by the force thereof, the other took a moment to gratefully return the gesture.

"You'd better," threatened the older brother. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," whispered the younger back into his twin's shirt. When at last Kaoru pulled back, it was out of reluctance. Without sparing another glance behind them, he and his French guardian headed for the gates. Just in time, Hikaru noticed René's arm tossing something in his direction; the redhead's fingers clenched around the keys to the limousine that stood beside him – his own ticket back home.


End file.
